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reddit, this is Longonot Education Initiative (Omari, machete, orphanage, wall, etc). Do you have any ideas on how we can continue to involve the reddit community in our cause? UPDATED WALL PIC INSIDE.

Hey reddit! Help us name the wall. Some favorites so far: "The Great Wall of reddit" and "Rampart Sucks Memorial Wall"...

Ok, so we posted the following image to /r/pics and realized immediately that the super-imposed text directly contravenes the rules of that sub-reddit. The mods were very nice and we ended up taking down that post because we want to comply with all applicable rules. So sorry for the mistake.

Here's an updated picture of the wall YOU built, reddit - CLICK HERE - that now surrounds and protects the children of Faraja Children's Orphanage in Kenya.

The question: Do you have any novel ideas as to how we can continue to involve redditors in our organization? You have sent us nearly $100,000 and that is no small amount. We believe you have earned a right to have a voice in our organization, but we're just not sure how that should look and we knew that if we turned it over to you, then perhaps some wonderful ideas may emerge.

Here's the text we included within our original post, and while we love your well-wishes, we would really value your thoughts on the question posed above:

Mama Mora, Omari and all the children at the Faraja Children’s Home would like to thank you, Reddit, for all of your donations and support! Three weeks ago we asked for help building a concrete wall to replace the existing wooden fence in order to protect the orphanage from thieves and other invaders after Omari was wounded in the face by a machete during an attack. Now, thanks to all of your incredible generosity and support, the orphanage has that wall and the children of Faraja can sleep soundly tonight for the first time in over eight years. So far Reddit has helped raise nearly $100,000 for the orphanage and children in Kenya which we will be able to do much, much more to truly change the lives of the children at Faraja than we ever could have imagined—currently, we are working to set the orphanage on a path to long-term support and sustainability. For more information, visit our website, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook to get updates on our progress.

We love the reddit community and have been blown away by all the support and great ideas we have received from redditors so far. We want to stay engaged with you in the future and give you a voice in our organization. We would love to hear your thoughts and ideas on how to best make this happen!

I think you should buy some paints and brushes and let the kids paint all holy hell over the inside of that wall. Make it look like a fun place to be, and safe. Just don't use disney characters, because they'll sue you. You know, so it doesn't look like a maximum security prison for children. Maybe save a place the reddit guy.

It is a great idea, but the practicality of it is a little lacking. Having used chalkboard paint, I know that it takes multiple coats and a really smooth surface for it to be very usable at all. It is also more expensive than regular paint, and comes in fairly limited colors. I'm only aware of black, green, and earthy red. There may be more but that's all I've seen at Lowes. I tried to paint plywood with a special roller designed just for it, thinning it to suggested amounts so the paint would level well, and it still turned out poorly. I could only imagine how bad it would go onto a stone wall.

Perhaps there is an area inside the home that is more suited to the chalkboard paint idea.

On a bit unrelated not, I remember an art project of a wall covered with this paint or a big desk or something like that, bucket of free chalk and a text asking people to write down their fears as those will be erased every day. Amazing, inspiring.

Very sad yet very true. It's too bad that you end up going from compound to compound when living in Kenya.

You are also 100% right: it shouldn't be that way. It's crazy to think that you are pretty much in less danger walking around in most of the game parks than you are walking around most parts of Nairobi.

To these kids, it probably looks like the best thing they've seen in a long time. To you and I it resembles a prison. To these kids I bet it looks like safety. One step at a time, it's only just gone up!

Oooh, I like this idea. Screw using the money already donated for entertainment/fun activities, let's take over that aspect and make some donations of our old junk for the little guys. That way the rest of the money can go towards medical and food related needs and the kids get a bundle of new shit/reading material/whatever we can gander up.

Thanks for thinking of us! The only rub is of course making sure all the stuff we collect aint junk... but reddit makes secret santa work, so why not this... do you have my email? Drop me a note at contact@breadpig.com so Christina and I can help work this out.

Do you have a US/UK address that can receive shipments? You could create a public Amazon wishlist for the things you need. People could buy something off the list (toys, games, books, practical things) at all price levels.

I think the best way to do this would be to find a individual or non-profit that can help us collect and distribute the donations. We would need a central location that could gather the donations and then ship them freight and get them to you. A central donation location would save a lot on shipping which would otherwise eat into donations. I'm sure there is a redditor out there who could help with this.

There's also a charity based in Hong Kong called Crossroads Foundation that you might be able to get in contact with. They're a global distribution sort of corporation and what they do is ship items across the world to charities in need (works particularly well because Hong Kong is a pretty wasteful city on a whole so they get quite a fair bit of donations). I'm not too sure what exactly their policies are but you could request clothes, books, furniture, sometimes even medical equipment. I've volunteered with them before and the work they do is pretty great so I'm sure they'll be happy to help out.

Encourage them to go forth to a university abroad and further their knowledge of the world so they can learn to serve it in the manner that you and your organization does every day. Educate and show them the world through school lessons and activities.

one word; computers. well actually two (internet being the second) but computers need to be available first so lets just stick to the first step for now.

i know this sounds ridiculous in a place like that but think about it for a second, what is going to shape these children's future world more than anything else? its likely that the answer will be computers and the internet. even if it doesnt have a big impact in Kenya now, i would be willing to bet my life that it will in the future. By the time they are old enough to be out of school it will probably be relevant in that area (at least to some extent) so why dont we try to plan for their future?

i could go on for days about why this is important and show you a million links of other people talking about it but i feel like people on here already know how powerful of a tool the internet and computers as a whole are- just look at what we accomplished with nothing more than a single post to a social news site. i honestly believe that it is what will bring about the most powerful changes on our planet for the next few decades (and probably beyond). so it is imperative that we empower EVERYONE to have access to this new inalienable human right, the right to connect and access the collective human knowledge bank... and perhaps look at some cat pictures as well.

BONUS: post i made trying to explain why the internet is creating such a paradigm shift in human communication and in particular i was talking about within industry but it applies to almost anything (note that i made this early in the morning so its a bit less coherent than i would like but it gets my point across)

EDIT: i just thought about it so i thought id add; wouldnt it be fitting for some of the money raised by all of us crazy internet folk, to go towards computers (and possibly internet)? maybe they could do an AMA where each kid responds to teacher picked questions! or even give us a nifty little webcam video of a lesson!

Absolutely, the internet has already made a huge impact in Kenya and the rest of Africa. Fun fact: Kenya is the world's leader in mobile banking development (meaning you can store money and spend money directly from accounts on your cell phone).

And we are working on a plan to provide for the orphanage and the kids for the long-term.

You could contact http://www.raspberrypi.org/ with your story. They will be rolling out $35 bare-bones computers in just a matter of days/weeks. Their aim is to get children involved with computing at a price that makes sense to give them to children. Seems like a great match.

Make sure you use free open source software on those computers. It is the only type of software that actually encourages the free spreading of knowledge and education. It will also run faster on older hardware.

I believe this would be the most efficient way to make a huge difference in all these children's lives. It enables them to pursue whatever interests they have and I'm sure offers a huge advantage over the current education choices they have.

I recently got the chance to go to Tanzania and install computers with a satellite internet connection in a small village, the internet connection was surprisingly stable and fast enough to not get in the way of learning. Once you have the internet, there's a ton of options for cheap computers. I'm sure a ton of people on reddit have old laptops that they don't use, I'd be happy to donate mine to the cause.

There are indeed. However, buying land in Kenya is a complicated and expensive process. In the meantime, we've secured a discounted rental agreement which will pay for the cost of the wall over the life of the current lease.

In your original r/pics post earlier you said that it would cost about $100,000 to buy the land the orphanage is on. Why is it so expensive? Could you (or someone else who knows Kenya) explain why it is so complicated and expensive?

I think this is something you should address and be very transparent about like Warlizard suggests because if people feel like they are having a fast one pulled on them they turn nasty very quickly. (look up Woody Harrelson in /r/iama for an interesting example)

The wall looks amazing! Reddit donated the money and you've used your bare hands to build that wall of safety. Thank you for the work you do with these kids, it's incredible the odds you face and the courage you demonstrate. We often yell about how damaged the world is, and you are doing something about it selflessly and well.

Working to be self sustaining is an excellent idea, IMHO. I think you said once that they grow food there. Maybe you could start some sort of really amazing farming project, teaching the kids to grow and can food. These might be good skills for them to have. Also, any sort of scholarship fund for on going education would be amazing!!

I think TheLake said in another post that they already raise chickens and farm some vegetables.

I think there are a lot of way this could be improved and expanded. I wonder what the size of the plot of land that's available for farming is.

I don't know what the cost of water is in Kenya but there are a lot of ways to improve water use. One very cheap and effective way to improve farming is to use the roofs to collect rainwater in a reservoir which can be used to water the plants in the dry season. You can also cheaply improvise drip irrigation to save even more water.

If they don't already, they can use the chicken manure to fertilize the vegetables.

On the project website it talks about how they don't seem to have a reliable water source and are forced to buy from water trucks. We all know how that probably works out. Perhaps Reddit can help with this. Whatever happened to that Kamen water purifier?

Hi, because of your story and original thread, I joined the subreddit /r/rwb for the purpose of getting involved through work, by donating what I can do professionally to causes like yours. I hope that the future of this is that professional groups of redditor with professional skills can organize themselves. (I started /r/rwbgis with this idea in mind, at least. I do GIS work, which is spatial data management and computer mapping/analysis. I hope to see rwbengineers, rwbdoctors, rwbarchitects, rwbgeologists, etc.)

The thing that I am wondering is, how can we help you other than money? What kind of data, from your country, could I map for you? Can I send you maps of the world, with which to plaster their walls? Could engineers or architects or electricians be helpful resources? Because Reddit has that, I just know it, and we'd love to help you in more ways than just money. There is a tremendous wealth beyond money here, and we would offer you these skills, these programs and tranings we collectively posses.

I would love your thoughts on how to mobilize these less tangible but very valuable resources, on behalf of your organization.

Absolutely. We can use help, advice, expertise, etc. in all sorts of areas. From boring things like accounting to clean water solutions and the best education practices and good, cheap building designs. Perhaps a good /rwb post?

Yes please do post a request in /rwb, so we can get started organizing around it! There have been a lot of requests for various things, but your story is what catalyzed this thing. It's pretty obvious you are a catalyzing case study in Reddit's development.

Thanks for bringing is up here. Really good job handing it, once you did. I hope you will follow through with an /r/rwb post in the same spirit. And three cheers for Omari, International Hero! I hope he specifically can get connected with engineering academics through Reddit and get funding to go get some professional training of his own. I'm pretty sure Reddit would help him cover any incidental costs like plane fare, etc, and surely he could get into a program with funding. Don't let us miss a chance to help that one. And continue to keep us posted on all of your needs and progress. We love you guys.

Have you ever heard of charity:water? They are an amazing non-profit and I know they have partners in several countries in Africa with the knowledge of what is better suited for each specific region and the experience to build freshwater wells. Maybe getting in touch with them could help and bring some more ideas to the table?

How is your power situation? I think it would awesome to get a bunch of computers (like the raspberry pi when it hits full production) and monitors for the kids. This is Reddit, after all. Do you have or need backup generators? Do you need a projector for lessons or movies?

I wanted to add that the courtyard could use some picnic tables and recreation equipment.

The power situation is a little iffy--at best. We have a few problems to focus on and solve first, but I like the idea of the cheap computers past some more basic needs. What sort of power requirements do those have anyways? And we will certainly be sprucing up that courtyard--I promise.

What do you guys do with waste? Can't realistically turn it into power, but composting I think would be great to teach the kids as well as providing fertilizer. You can even compost human waste, but only use it on flowers or non-edibles. But it would help prevent water contamination. Also, a rain catcher? Not sure how much it rains there. I don't know if these are things you guys have, but I think they could be cool to incorporate.

Could you say more about the power? Is it expensive, does it blackout a lot? Reddit could donate power saving LED or CFL lights. Solar panels and storage are also an option, though solar panels are a prime target for thieves, but if you can afford keeping a guard on staff it could be quite effective considering the sun you get in Kenya.

Since we're talking about power, we might want to talk about how it's harnessed. You're saying the situation is pretty iffy, so I assume the grid is pretty shitty or non-existent. Maybe they don't really have a way to generate power even. So, we need to think about ways to get power without relying on the grid. Since it's Kenya and since it's (I assume) very sunny most of the time, the best way to get power would be to harness the sun. I KNOW there are some redditors out there that have the connections to offer advice on how to get this done and may even be able to hook up materials for cheaper than usual, we just have to get their attention. Or, there's got to be a business that wants some publicity and is willing to help out. Surely that will be enough to charge a bunch of these computers and also do more to help ease the strain; a washing machine, a small fridge, stuff like that. Power means A LOT as I'm sure you've come to realize living there.

There also has to be a cheaper solution to the water situation that can also benefit the community. I think getting the community to rally around you guys is really important, perhaps the most important thing of all. If the community supports you then you won't have such a big target painted on your backs. I don't know what ever happened to that Kamen water purifier because that seems like the ideal solution for something like this, but reaching out the community with water and power help may be one way to ingratiate them.

I would attempt to buy the land from the government if that is possible. I know it was mentioned as being difficult but it would provide for children for generations from now.

Also, if you don't have good sports equipment, I suggest getting some decent soccer balls, basketballs, to be able to let the kids get to know sports. When I grew up, playing kickball with my friends were some of the greatest memories I had.

Lastly, if you can get some up to date educational materials with the money I would suggest doing so. Especially materials that can inform the kids about disease transmission and keeping healthy.

You are doing wonderfully and I only hope good things happen from now on!

It'd be interesting to see Redditors contribute links about innovative techniques to benefit the school's day to day operations, like permaculture tips, education techniques, etc. Greening, apps, fun things for kids. Collect info and engage in discussion with the school about what works, what doesn't, and what you'd like to learn more about. Use Reddit as a research team to improve operations.

[the name "Rampart Sucks Memorial Wall"] captures so much of what is great and good about reddit - that, generally, posers and people who are just trying to promote themselves get beat up, and the people who are just trying to do some good in the world get rewarded.

This may seem silly but you could do what other places do, i.e., put the name of the person donating on the wall.

In other words, have people buy a brick in the wall for maybe 10 bucks, then have the kids paint the name of the person donating on that brick. Take a picture, upload it and make it available on the website.

That way we could all feel like we were actually part of the wall. Reddit is an odd bird and people here will donate like crazy when they believe in the cause.

Next, specify PRECISELY where the money will go, how much is overhead, etc. Transparency is key here.

If you get some crazy rich Redditor, name a building after him/her. Might be fun.

Very true. I did a report in college about how kids in different cultures play. I read one great study where they basically gave Zambian kids cameras for a few days and were told to take pictures of themselves playing. They were amazingly resourceful, playing a lot of traditional games (of which you only need some sticks and pebbles), racing each other, soccer with an old ball, etc. They were perfectly happy and played a lot. These kids are not lacking in fun. If kids are allowed to run free, they will have fun, no matter how poor they are.

I wish I could find the study, but I apparently suck. keywords are photo-voice, zambia, tanzania, play.

Seriously though, some money can definitely be spent improving quality of life in other not exactly essential ways, because kids deserve more than life, happiness is a worthwhile investment too... just spend wisely and get the most bang for your buck you can.

I don't need my name on a brick, save that for the children to draw something else. I do totally support transparency. If this happens and it becomes a big success, which it looks like it has, this will be a template for other to follow.

I'm not so sure about the laptops. Seems like waste of time and electricity when the children could be spending their time reading books, playing sports or just helping each other. Why get them hooked on the Internet? I understand that it's a vast source of information, but I feel like there's just too many better ways to spend what little money they have.

HERE is my post about why computers are actually IMHO an awesome idea.

to address your particular concerns though, i feel like you are missing the point that even if there are better things in the imediate future, computers and the internet are probably going to be the biggest forces influencing global change in the next couple decades (and beyond) so preparing those kids for that would probably give them a leg up. Also if you look at the TED talk i linked in my post, he talks about making computer areas a village hub, some place safe where families and kids can learn and socialize. communication is how we have gone from sticks and rocks to silicone and electrons and it is how we will continue to progress in the future.

I don't know how many people will see this, but if people still want to donate money we could pick another target for donation. 100K will go for a long time in Kenya. I'm sure The_Lake And Longonot initiative have other institution they're working with. He said something about another school in Kenya. Maybe we could help them too. This way we'll make more of an impact then just overwhelm the kids at Faranja, I'm prety sure they're much better then before now.

Just an ideea. Anyway good luck The_Lake and Longnot with your projects.

If you haven't heard of them, tons of free classes on line. And if you can't/don't have internet access but do have electricity they will/or a group they are affiliated with will send you their classes on a basic computer.

I was wondering...what is the quality of the education the kids are receiving? I grew up in a third world country and I know how hard it can be to get good education. I feel like with the resources this community has we could seriously fill in the gaps their school might have. What do you think?

It's surreal how connected I feel to this whole thing and how much I look forward to updates. Thanks for the work you do.

i know what you mean about the surreal feeling. thelake responded to my suggestion and i honestly was geeking out. i feel like a giddy little girl when i see any update on this, even though all i did was donate 15 for me and 15 for my GF. perhaps i will post something about this feeling in one of the more philosophical subs like depthhub and see what they have to say about the implications.

Instead of doing something short term, isn't there something long term you can do for the children? They are orphans, right?

Maybe hire a few local teachers so they learn the basics that gets them employed later on. Or make it attractive for western workers to come teach.

You could also set up a shop, where they could learn crafts (say carpentry) for a future job, and you could probably sell what you make to earn money and make the orphanage more sustainable.

I think it would be best to invest the money somehow, into either the future of the children or in keeping the money flowing in for many years, rather then spending it on a fountain in the yard or golden barbwire on the wall.

How about getting the kids at the orphanage and school access to technology and the educational opportunities that come along with it? One Laptop Per Child was created with this exact goal in mind.

I don't know if you guys would have to partner with them or what, but considering their laptops are cheap and designed for children, it should be simple to get a dozen (or more) over to you guys. Hell, I bet reddit would jump all over funding that one, too.

Dear Awesomes, keep being you and us lazy cunts will keep helping financially to rid ourselves of some irrational guilt and hopefully feel like we made a small difference.

The exhuberant kindness and massive hearts you folks show by putting your money where your mouth is so to speak is amazing. Most people are not able to do that, leave behind the comforts of daily life, our wants, desires, sense of entitlement and whatnot.

Thank you!

edit. computers and general appliances are being mentioned with the "iffy power situation" Solar panels? a simple mechanical windmill? Anything that would generate a little bit of energy could help a lot..

I think you want to promote sustainability in all aspects.. Clearly food and health are the main focus but there is an opportunity to educate these kids and invest in their future and the future of their communities.

I hadn't been on reddit in a while (in fact, lost my password and made a new account the other day) so I missed the initial post and follow-ups and didn't find out about this until today - but when my next paycheck comes along I'll be sending the whole thing to your program. It won't be much, but I want to do anything I can to help such a great organization. Make sure to keep reddit posted about what goes on, because plenty of us (myself included) will be happy to continue supporting your efforts.

My vote is for the "Rampart Sucks Wall," since that captures so much of what is great and good about reddit - that, generally, posers and people who are just trying to promote themselves get beat up, and the people who are just trying to do some good in the world get rewarded.

Keep up the great work and, of course, send all of our love to the kids! Oh, and make sure Omari knows how many people around the world consider him a first-class hero and a genuine badass.

I may get downvoted to oblivion, but whilst the foundation now has some $100k, I don't think buying "luxury" items is the way to go, just yet. I think investing in things like Computers is going to provide a problem with security once again. Each new "luxury" the foundation has, is another reason to take from them. The more reasons to take, the more they are likely to be attacked. The more they are likely to be attacked, the more they will need to spend on Security. $100k for a Kenyan charity in 3 weeks is amazing, but this level of injection of money is not normal, and the chances are they will have to live off of this investment for quite some time. Eroding that money with extra Security had better be worth it.

My view point is Infrastructure. Get your water situation sorted, involve the community as has been mentioned before. Let the community know that whilst the walls may seem like they are removing themselves from the community, they are only there for the children's safety. Get your electricity sorted out. Get the place even more suitable for children, get the walls painted, get a playground built, invest in books and toys, allow the children to be children. And do buy the land, it is worth the investment in time, effort and money.

All of this can be done, to improve the future for the foundation and the children, but doesn't raise the "target" status of the foundation any more.

Only then would I consider bringing in Computers and the Internet, as this brings with it a whole extra level of cost that has to be planned for.

(I use the term luxury very loosely, most of us would think nothing of an old laptop, or a 18" CRT tv, but the standard of living is much lower than most of us afford out there I assume, and everything above what the average man/woman has, is a luxury and reason to want to steal)

On the contrary to your initial qualifier, take my upvotes. You've got really good points and you're damn good at explaining them. I would certainly agree that infrastructure and community building is the most important thing here, because that gives a better foundation for any future, more "luxury" initiatives.

You might try contacting a few mods of the major subreddits to see if they'd be willing to put a "Donate To The Omari Orphanage" (or something similar) link in the sidebar. "Help Reddit's ongoing project to fund a children's orphanage in Kenya!"

I know it's not called the Omari Orphanage, but that's what a lot of Redditors recognize - Omari.

As for the money you currently have, I'd love to see a small bookshelf with lots of stuff to read. A chalkboard might also be a nice investment, for teaching. You could even purchase things to hang on the walls - pretty pictures, maps of the world, multiplication tables, etc.

Don't forget toys! Play time is important, too. I'm sure you can find some that they can play with outside.

I for one would love to see a weekly verified Cause to donate to. A different situation or just people that need the help. I love the feeling of being directly involved in a single project rather than donating to a large company that i don't know where my money goes. Also maybe set a goal and once that goal is reached with some extras if needed the rest is carried over to the next goal. As in the case with Omari and the orphanage even though im glad we raised that much money i think more disbursed use of funds would be better overall. As long as it remains people to people id be willing to donate every week.

I dont know if this is the kind of ideas you are looking for, but i think it would be neat if a redditor was to pay $10 or $20 to have one of the children paint a picture of their interpretation of our reddit usernames and then post it to a subreddit made for this purpose. I think it would be a fun way to raise money, interact in a small way with the children, and everyone can have fun while doing it.

Maybe not a dick, forgive me, but perhaps a bit of a "Debbie Downer" in light of the festive mood. Did you see what they were working with before? Before/After Reddit and here's another shot of the wall.

I know what it looked like before. My fear is that someone could still easily put a car through the new wall and cost the school more money, or someone could scale it with a ladder and snip the barbed wire. Granted, there are security guards now, but I had just envisioned something more... robust?

As someone who has been to the area they are in... let me respectfully suggest that you might be applying American pristine building standards to a place that just doesn't have them, while being concerned about automobiles that are rather rare.

The wall is really thick and really sturdy and unlikely to be penetrated without maybe a tank. It's very unlikely an intruder will get through without maybe a tank. honestly, if you went to the area, you would understand why I find the notion of a car going through the wall a bit funny. it's in a very remote part of Kenya.